Unable to delete Windows 7 partition

Hi everyone,

So...here's my setup.

I have 3 bootable partitions (OSX, XP, and Windows 7) and 1 storage partition.

I want to delete Windows 7 and put the space into my other partitions (mainly OSX and XP).

I have followed steps on the internet on how-to, but mine isn't co-operating.

When I go onto bootcamp assistant (clicking continue on the first screen), I come up to the screen where it asks for Windows Drives!? It doesn't give me an option to install/remove any partitions like the tutorials said it would.

Whichever option I click (on the 'windows drive' screen), it always says you have to reformat the 'startup' disk to Mac OX filesystem. So, I did that...I went onto Disk Utility and reformatted the Windows 7 partition into the correct filesystem that it said (I forget exactly what)

And, boot camp assistant still shows the same message when I try to continue. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong.

And I've tried to reboot into recovery mode to try to do it that way (apple-R) but it never booted into it...it just kept on restarting and restarting...

Any suggestions? I really need the 100 GB that the Windows 7 partition is eating up.

Thanks for your time and replies.

The Boot Camp Assistant does not work on a drive that is already partitioned. You need to use Disk Utility from your install DVD. Boot with the install DVD, run Disk Utility from the Utilities menu at the top. Click on the partition tab, select the Windows 7 partition and press the minus button at the bottom. Press "Apply". Then drag the adjoining partition to fill the space. Press "Apply". Escape out of Disk Utility and reboot.

Thank you for your reply.

I was able to delete the partition following the directions you described, but I was unable to move the partitions to fill in the empty space. The only drive I can move is the Mac OSX one, and that does not fill in the empty space left by the partition.

The other ones, XP and Storage, will not be dragged. It says that they are a 'bootcamp partition and therefore the partition cannot be modified.'

Am I basically screwed here? I don't want to reinstall my Windows XP just to make the partition bigger. I have a lot of files on there that are non-backup-able.

Yeah, that's true. The partition you removed probably has nowhere to go and can't be combined. It's too bad because that's space lost.

Basically, we can solve this problem several ways:

1. Backup everything and start over. You really don't need all those partitions unless you plan on triple booting - which if you do, you should use rEFIt instead.

Backing up OS X is easy: Use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper. You can backup WinXP with WinClone. Get rid of the storage partition.

2. You can non-destructively resize the XP partition by using CampTune from Paragon software. The problem with this method is that it doesn't get back your lost space on the hard drive.

It's up to you.

chscag said:

Yeah, that's true. The partition you removed probably has nowhere to go and can't be combined. It's too bad because that's space lost.

Basically, we can solve this problem several ways:

1. Backup everything and start over. You really don't need all those partitions unless you plan on triple booting - which if you do, you should use rEFIt instead.

Backing up OS X is easy: Use Carbon Copy Cloner or SuperDuper. You can backup WinXP with WinClone. Get rid of the storage partition.

2. You can non-destructively resize the XP partition by using CampTune from Paragon software. The problem with this method is that it doesn't get back your lost space on the hard drive.

It's up to you.

Click to expand...

About Camptune....what do you mean when you say "it doesn't get back your lost space on the hard drive?"

Do you mean it won't 'merge' with the 100 GB from the 'empty space' partition, or it'll delete the data on that partition entirely...?

I could always make that partition into another storage one - I do a lot of video-editing that has filled up my first storage partition (95 GB)

And...is there a demo version of Camptune that'll do what I want it to do without any catches? Or do I have to pay for the full version? If so, is there any freeware out there that does a quality job?

Thanks...

CampTune is not a partition manager. For that you would need to purchase iPartition (which you might want to do). All CampTune will do is re-size your Boot Camp partition without destroying data. It can not combine or merge partitions or regain lost space.

I don't really know if there is a trial version. Since it's only $19.95, I rather doubt it but you can find out by visiting their site.

So I've decided to reinstall my Windows XP. However, it will not let me delete it through Bootcamp assistant, it keeps on saying the drive has to be partitioned to a single Mac OSX Journaled partition.
I'm scared to use Disk Utility as I think that is what messed it up in the first place...I don't want my OSX partition to not work as well!!

The steps on the guide for Boot Camp didn't help me.

EDIT:

Here's my partition setup. Please note that 'Free Space' was where my storage and Windows 7 partitions were. When I deleted my Windows 7 partition, my XP one didn't work.

Thanks for posting the screen shot. That makes it easier to try to solve. Unfortunately, you have one messed up hard drive with partitions that can't be moved.

What you can try: Backup your OS X partition first. Download and install the new version of WinClone in your OS X partition. WinClone is no longer free. ($19.99) Make an image of your XP partition using WinClone and save the image in OS X.

You now should have a backup of both your OS X and Boot Camp partitions. Boot the machine with your OS X install DVD, go to Disk Utility, select the partition tab, remove the Boot Camp partition. That should leave you with lots of empty space before the MacIntosh HD partition. Drag the partition line upward so that the entire drive shows as MacIntosh HD.

If it won't allow you to do that for some reason, the only other choice is to wipe the entire drive after removing all its partitions. Format it and start over.

Install OS X and then restore from your backup. Once you get OS X back to where it was before, create a Boot Camp partition for XP, and then restore XP from your WinClone image.

Let us know.

chscag said:

Thanks for posting the screen shot. That makes it easier to try to solve. Unfortunately, you have one messed up hard drive with partitions that can't be moved.

What you can try: Backup your OS X partition first. Download and install the new version of WinClone in your OS X partition. WinClone is no longer free. ($19.99) Make an image of your XP partition using WinClone and save the image in OS X.

You now should have a backup of both your OS X and Boot Camp partitions. Boot the machine with your OS X install DVD, go to Disk Utility, select the partition tab, remove the Boot Camp partition. That should leave you with lots of empty space before the MacIntosh HD partition. Drag the partition line upward so that the entire drive shows as MacIntosh HD.

If it won't allow you to do that for some reason, the only other choice is to wipe the entire drive after removing all its partitions. Format it and start over.

Install OS X and then restore from your backup. Once you get OS X back to where it was before, create a Boot Camp partition for XP, and then restore XP from your WinClone image.

Let us know.

Click to expand...

I followed your directions, and it won't let me move the OSX partition to fill up the space. I already have my important XP files backed up onto another computer. Now, I'm trying to copy my important OSX files to that other computer (XP).

Looks like I'm going to have to do a complete reinstall, unless somebody else has another idea...

I followed your directions, and it won't let me move the OSX partition to fill up the space. I already have my important XP files backed up onto another computer. Now, I'm trying to copy my important OSX files to that other computer (XP).

Looks like I'm going to have to do a complete reinstall, unless somebody else has another idea...

Click to expand...

I suspected that it might not let you engulf the entire drive especially since OS X was the last partition in the chain. You may as well go ahead with a complete reinstall after you achieve a good backup of your OS X data and files. It's just as well anyway, because it's likely the partition table has errors and may cause problems later on when trying to install XP again.

Keep us posted.

chscag said:

I suspected that it might not let you engulf the entire drive especially since OS X was the last partition in the chain. You may as well go ahead with a complete reinstall after you achieve a good backup of your OS X data and files. It's just as well anyway, because it's likely the partition table has errors and may cause problems later on when trying to install XP again.

Keep us posted.

Click to expand...

It'll take the whole night to backup fully, I'm writing this on the other computer as my Mac is in Target Disk mode. Tomorrow I'll reformat, reinstall, set up OSX how it was before, then I'll put my XP back on.

I'll keep you guys posted; thanks for the help so far! It's much appreciated.

I've run into a bit of a problem...and it's kind of a noob problem. I haven't done it in so long I forget the details...

But what filesystem should I use for XP? NTFS or FAT32? The XP partition is set up at 135 GB.

I remember FAT32 had this stupid problem with transferring files over 4 GB. And I would probably need to transfer files bigger than that, but I think my external drive is formatted to FAT32...so that shouldn't be an issue if I 'go through' my external drive?

If it helps, I plan to mostly use my XP partition for games and a 'little' bit of word processing. OSX is for everything else.

I'm also concerned if I would be able to transfer files over from OSX to XP and vice versa. I know one of the filesystems wouldn't let me do that, but I don't have the time to do the research right now.

And, if the need ever arose again, if I would be able to delete the XP partition using BootCamp Assistant without wiping my entire drive...and if the filesystem has any effect on that (My previous XP had NTFS, but I'm not sure if that's what contributed to it not being 'seen' by Bootcamp assistant)

Thanks for the help...

Hi again:

You're going to need to format that partition NTFS as the Boot Camp formatter and installer will not format a FAT-32 partition greater than 32 GB. By the way, that's not an Apple restriction, it's a Microsoft thing.... ;D

Hi,

Thank you so much for the help. Everything runs perfect now.

Thanks for posting back. Glad to hear you're up and running.